


Oh darling my heart’s on fire, for you

by louloubaby92



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, English Literature quotes, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Students
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25207114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louloubaby92/pseuds/louloubaby92
Summary: Liam introduces Louis to the rest of them and even though he’d looked sleepy when he’d first come in, he smiles now when Liam cuddles him to his side, eyes going all crinkly.‘’He’s a bit tired; double majoring this one,’’ Liam explains when Louis yawns into his shoulder. Fuck, Harry’s eyes zone into Louis’ hand, which he uses to cover his mouth. Louis is small, almost dwarfed by Liam and its…well, it’s interesting, Harry thinks.‘’Are you two boyfriends?’’ Harry blurts out.Where did that come from?There’s a moment of awkward silence, a definite surprise at the question and Harry starts to squirm.‘’I mean, you look really cute together and it’s nice and…’’ Harry stammers but then Liam just laughs.‘’Nah, man. I’m taken. Lou however has no time to date at all,’’ Liam says.Oh, Harry can’t help but think.-Or the one where Harry works in a bakery and Louis quotes Classic Literature. It may seem like they don't fit but maybe, just maybe, they do.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 11
Kudos: 134
Collections: Week Fifty-Nine





	1. Halo

**Author's Note:**

> my prompt this time:  
> 381\. The annoyance at obtrusive compliments from men your age about your fine head of hair.
> 
> song title from Passenger's, ''heart's on fire''
> 
> This fic was written as part of an ongoing challenge. We each select random numbers and are given a specific emotion from the book 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names. To read the other fics written in this challenge, [click here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/ShortFic_Challenge_For_Which_There_Is_No_Name/works), or you can find the masterpost on tumblr [here](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/159679804243/1000-feelings-for-which-there-are-no-names-prompt).

_“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced–or seemed to face–the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor.”_

-F. Scott Fitzgerald, _The Great Gatsby_

‘’You look like an angel,’’

Harry wants to roll his eyes so fucking hard. He’s just afraid that if he does, his eyes might fall out of their sockets and roll off the floor and that seriously does not paint a wonderful image, especially considering his work place.

This isn’t the first time someone dropped such a lame pick-up line and it also is not the first time someone tries to chat him up by saying something about his hair.

He wishes people could be a little bit more creative.

‘’How can I help you today?’’ Harry merely asks as politely as possible, trying not to yawn. It’s early hours but that’s what he gets by working in ‘’Barbara’s Bakery Shop’’. It’s near campus so it’s never too boring and Barbara is his mum’s friend so she lets him have all the extra shifts he needs if he’s down on cash. She also lets him eat for free from the products nearing their expiry dates, which for a uni student, is quite ace.

‘’How about a cup of coffee, a Danish and your phone number?’’ the man asks and is undeterred if his smirk is anything to go by. This time, Harry does roll his eyes. Ben is a regular and unfortunately, a shameless flirt so he's not swayed easily. ‘’And seriously, how do you get your hair to look so…nice?’’

Harry is studying music composition and maybe due to some of his English classes that are a requirement to his major, maybe he’s set himself up to expect at least some decent adjectives or at least ones that are not so…lame.

‘’I wash it just like everyone else.’’ Harry just says as he gets a Danish from the display section and bags it up, hoping Zayn could hurry up with the coffee. ‘’Anything else?’’

‘’Your phone number, Harry. C’mon, just this once,’’ Ben puts the money in Harry’s hand but then grips it. ‘’Go on a date with me, yeah? I’ll even play with your hair. I bet you like that sort of thing.’’

‘’You’re being weird again and its getting creepy,’’ Harry deadpans before he rips his hand none too politely and drops the change on the counter with the receipt. He’s used to Ben being a little bit too forward sometimes because he’s been assured by the others who work with him that he’s harmless and just has an affinity for good hair.

‘’Oh well, I tried,’’ Ben sighs and smiles brightly before he gathers his items and waves goodbye. ‘’See you later my little cherubim,’’

Zayn and Niall laugh as soon as the door closes. Harry whips his head and looks at them. Niall works in the kitchen where he prepares the pastries with Barbara and Zayn works alongside him, preparing the drinks that Barbara decided to add to their products. Since they work in a uni area, it wasn’t wise to only serve baked goods and Zayn is not really that talented but he does serve a decent cup of tea or coffee with their pastries. Harry works as the cashier since he’s quite charming and friendly. He just wishes being hit on by Ben wasn’t part of his daily routine.

‘’Oh sod off,’’ Harry says when Niall and Zayn don’t stop snickering.

‘’My little cherubim,’’ Niall turns his voice to imitate that of Ben’s while adding a new batch of blueberry and raspberry cupcakes in the display next to the espresso machine. ‘’That’s new, that one,’’

‘’He’s one of us now,’’ Zayn says.

‘’What?’’ Harry turns to where the raven-haired lad is standing leaning against the counter.

‘’He now also thinks that you’re an alien,’’ Zayn clarifies.

‘’I’m not a fucking alien,’’ Harry tries to whip his rag at him but Zayn was too quick and dodged his blow. ‘’That was one time and I was dunk,’’

Niall is majoring in sound engineering and he and Niall met in a common class that they had both been required to take. Zayn is majoring in photography and since it’s also an art major, they ended up running into each other a lot. It then turns out that he’s Niall’s best mate from school and when Barbara decided to add drinks to her business, Niall recommended that they hire Zayn since he too was looking for a job alongside his studies.

‘’You should make your hair like that again though,’’ Niall says, referring to the double buns he’d sported during the last Halloween party. Whoever told him to dress as Miley Cyrus, tie his hair into space buns and convinced him it was a good idea deserves some serious trash talk because looking back on the pics that spread on fb, he can now add said costume to his list of never-to-do stunts ever again. 

''You looked great even if you were black-out drunk,'' Zayn snickers.

‘’Hammered,’’ Niall emphasizes.

‘’Wasted,’’ Zayn adds.

‘’Couldn’t stand straight,’’

‘’Yeah okay, I get it, enough you two,’’ Harry tries to swipe at Zayn again since he was the nearest but stops when the bell about the door clinks. Niall just laughs and goes back to the kitchen with his empty tray.

‘’Oh hey Liam,’’ Zayn greets and when Harry looks up, he sees two lads close to their age approaching the counter, one shorter than the other.

‘’Hey Zee, I didn’t know you work here,’’ the one called Liam answers. He has a sort of buzz cut and beefy arms that do wonders to the leather jacket he’s wearing.

‘’Yeah, I started about a month ago. I needed the cash,’’ Zayn says and gives Liam a bro hug over the counter. ‘’This is Niall,’’ Zayn points at Niall who comes back and joins them but this time with a tray of muffins and truffles. The smaller lad goes to the display and looks at the items while Niall loads the new batch in. ‘’and this is Harry,’’

Harry blinks and sees Liam extending a hand.

‘’Nice to meet you. Zayn told me about you guys,’’

‘’Oh hi,’’ Harry shakes hands with the lad. ‘’You go to the same uni?’’

‘’Yup, we both do,’’ he points at the lad who comes back to stand beside him. ‘’This is Louis. Lou, they go to the same uni as us,’’

Liam introduces Louis to the rest of them and even though he’d looked sleepy when he’d first come in, he smiles now when Liam cuddles him to his side, eyes going all crinkly.

‘’He’s a bit tired; double majoring this one,’’ Liam explains when Louis yawns into his shoulder. Fuck, Harry’s eyes zone onto Louis’ hand, which he uses to cover his mouth. Louis is small, almost dwarfed by Liam and its…well, it’s interesting, Harry thinks.

‘’Are you two boyfriends?’’ Harry blurts out.

Where did that come from?

There’s a moment of awkward silence, a definite surprise at the question. Harry starts to squirm.

‘’I mean, you look really cute together and it’s nice and…’’ Harry stammers but then Liam just laughs.

‘’Nah, man. I’m taken. Lou however has no time to date at all,’’ Liam says.

Oh, Harry can’t help but think.

‘’I’m right here, you know,’’ Louis says before he stands up straight, hands burrowing into his green Adidas hoodie. He looks all soft and cuddly and just…absolutely lovely.

‘’How can I help you both today?’’ Harry asks, trying to steer away from digging himself into a deeper and more embarrassing hole.

‘’I need tea please,’’ Louis says, a hint of desperation in his eyes. ‘’And lots of sugar,’’

‘’Um,’’ Harry doesn’t know what to say.

‘’He means if you have any sugary pastries that would be great,’’ Liam explains. ‘’I’ll have a cup of coffee and a muffin please. All to go, Lou?’’

‘’Yeah, I’ve got a class in half an hour,’’ Louis replies. ''What do you recommend?'' he asks Harry.

‘’Well, the blueberry cupcakes over there are new,’’ Harry points out. ‘’And the donuts are fresh as well,’’

‘’I’ll have two of each then,’’ Louis smiles and then observes silently as Harry rings up the order. Liam chats with Zayn a bit as he prepares their drinks and Harry feels pinned down by Louis.

‘’Should I get you anything else?’’ he asks.

‘’Do you by any chance know Ben Winston?’’ Louis asks and it makes Harry blink at him.

‘’Yeah, he’s a regular here, why?’’

‘’Are you the Harry that he’s obsessed with?’’ Louis asks, coming alive, palms on the counter now as he leans closer. ‘’He’s got a photo album on Instagram dedicated to hair and you are always appearing on them,’’

‘’What?’’ Harry cannot help but laugh.

‘’Yeah, he’s interning as a hair stylist, did you not know? My sister is doing a make-up internship in the same beauty parlor as him. You always show up on his Instagram account,’’ Louis explains before he takes out his phone. ‘’Look,’’

‘’Oh,’’ Harry feels a bit creeped out. There are photos of him in the Instagram account Louis mentioned and although he does not have Ben on social media, his fb account is not private and he will go on a limb here and say he has a lot of friends who he shares photos with.

‘’Is that why people always complement my hair?’’ Harry asks when he notices Ben’s staggering number of followers before he realizes how conceited that sounds.

‘’Well, you do have a nice glow going on there,’’ Louis chuckles. ‘’Wear it with pride, mate,’’

Harry blushes. Funny how it’s different coming from Louis.

‘’I feel like I owe to demand Ben a share of the profits,’’ Harry says when Zayn’s done with the drinks and Niall’s packed the pastries in a paper bag.

‘’You should,’’ Louis agrees before he adds the change Harry gives him in the donation box next to the cash register. ‘’Well, it was nice to meet you, halo. Liam, shall we go?’’

‘’Nice to meet you guys,’’ Liam says before he waves and gets his arm around Louis’ shoulders as they leave.

‘’Halo?’’ Zayn questions.

‘’You heard that too?’’ Niall asks, approaching the counter.

''He meant the hair right?'' Zayn points before he squints at Harry. ''You do look like an angel today, now that I'm looking,''

Harry swats at him and just shakes his head as he and Niall go back to the break room.

Harry tries to forget about it the way he does anyone who says something about his hair but deep down, coming from Louis, he sure does not feel like rolling his eyes at all. More like, yearning to hear what more Louis has to say about it.

Hmm, interesting lad.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Louis and Liam become regulars after that since it turns out that Liam and Niall both share the same major but Liam is on a footie scholarship so he doesn’t take as much classes as he or Niall does. More often than not, Zayn would organize a study group and Harry will find himself meeting up with Louis and Liam and its nice getting to know new people and be-friending new faces.

It also turns out that Louis is sort of immune to his charms. Either that or he does not seem to be aware that Harry is trying to get to know him more or trying to ask him out even. It’s different when the tables are reversed or maybe because it’s not often that Harry has to work for it this much. Sure, he’s dated a lot and he knows how disarming his dimples are but it’s sort of becoming less like a breath of fresh air and more confusing when Louis seems to misinterpret his advances.

Sometimes, Louis won’t show up to their study group sessions since his classes vary from theirs but he would come by the bakery a lot and sit down in a corner and study in the early hours of the morning and it’s nice seeing him there, already comfortable because he looks almost constantly stressed out over his work load and study courses and Harry cannot help but pay close attention and see if he needs a refill or an extra cupcake to tide him over.

Louis always smiles sleepily at him in thanks and sometimes Harry wonders what it will be like to cuddle next to him the way that he sees Liam do. He’s always in baggy jumpers or soft hoodies that makes Harry compare him to a pillow, soft and comfy and…

‘’Love the bun today, Harry!’’

Harry blinks up and sees none other than Ben in front of him. He's manning the shop alone today but he doesn't mind since Louis is here. If only Ben could go away though.

‘’Oh, hi,’’ Harry blushes, hoping Louis didn’t catch him staring.

‘’How long did it take you to be able to tie it up like that?’’ Ben asks but Harry isn’t really focused, too busy preparing his order so that he can leave already.

‘’Like, two seconds,’’

‘’No, I mean to grow it!’’ Ben laughs so loud that it startles Louis to look up. Harry blushes beetroot red because fuck, he totally misunderstood the question and now Louis will think he’s a proper git.

‘’I thought you meant how long to tie it up!’’ Harry tries to explain but Ben is too busy laughing to care.

‘’Man, you’re charming and funny,’’ Ben says as his laughter winds down. ‘’Please go out with me, we’d look great together,’’

‘’No thanks,’’ Harry declines as he usually does and rings up his order. Ben comes so often and always orders the same thing that he hardly asks anymore.

‘’Why not?’’ Ben almost whines.

‘’Hi,’’ Harry looks to the side and sees Louis standing next to Ben.

‘’You intern with Lottie right? Charlotte Tomlinson?’’ Louis asks.

‘’Yes, we’re also taking a fashion class together,’’ Ben answers. ‘’Do I know you?’’

‘’Yeah, I’m her older brother. How’s the fashion class these days?’’

Louis steers the conversation and is so animated, engrossed and pseudo-interested that it gets Ben so caught up, he doesn’t even notice Louis leading him to the door. They end up shaking hands and waving goodbye, laughing like old buddies and before he knows it, Louis is closing the door and Ben is gone.

‘’You’re a miracle worker,’’ Harry tells him when he nears the counter. ‘’He’s always going on and on about my hair and asking me out that it’s getting really old,’’

‘’You should tell him to his face one day,’’ Louis advises. ‘’You’re too nice,’’

‘’He’s a regular and practically harmless,’’ Harry reasons. ‘’I wouldn’t want to like offend him,’’

‘’Suit yourself,’’ Louis shrugs before he starts collecting his things from his table. Harry is honestly disappointed that he’s leaving.

But then, Louis stops at the counter before he makes his exit.

‘’You know what you need?’’ Louis says.

‘’What?’’

‘’You need a girlfriend,’’ Louis tells him. ‘’Or a boyfriend, I don’t care. But if he finds out you’re taken, he’ll back off,’’

‘’No boyfriend I’m afraid,’’ Harry shakes his head. ‘’I think I’m too high maintenance for that, which is something I’m trying to work on,’’

‘’You like it if someone puts effort into it?’’ Louis asks, tone curious but eyes swimming in mirth.

‘’I mean, I want someone who’d surprise me.’’ Harry tries to explain. ‘’Not say the same old shit as my exes. I want someone who isn’t boring or…’’

‘’Or obsessed with your hair,’’ Louis interrupts with a smirk.

‘’No, I don’t mind that but he’s just so lame about it,’’ Harry cannot help but say. ‘’I mean, it makes him come off as shallow and like, a looks type of person and I know that he doesn’t know me that well to compliment anything else but like…I don’t know, he’s just not my type.’’

‘’Hmm,’’ Louis hums.

‘’What?’’ Harry feels embarrassed for obviously coming off as high-maintenance when he’d just said that he’s trying not to be.

‘’I don’t think you’re high maintenance,’’ Louis says. ‘’I think it’s nice that you know what you want from a person and aren’t apologetic about it,’’

‘’Really?’’ Harry cannot help but snort. ‘’Tell that to my exes,’’

‘’If they’re your exes, it means they weren’t good enough,’’ Louis says with finality. ‘’Besides, you’ve got a lot of fine qualities that I can hardly keep up with. Anybody who holds just a ten-minute conversation with you must be blind not to see them,’’

‘’You’re too kind,’’ Harry flushes, smiling uneasily. He looks up and sees Louis looking at him softly.

‘’What?’’

_''If I could write the beauty of your eyes And in fresh numbers all your graces, The age to come would say, 'This poet lies; Such heavenly touches ne'er touch'd earthly faces''_

Harry feels stumped…did Louis just recite poetry at him?

‘’Um…’’

‘’William Shakespeare,’’ Louis explains, a glint in his eyes like he knows he was able to get Harry speechless and is relishing the after fact. ‘’That quote suits you,’’

Harry swallows, fish-mouthing as Louis walks towards the door.

‘’Thanks for the refill and the extra cupcake,’’ Louis says before he waves and leaves.

Oh fuck, maybe his advances aren’t as transparent as he thought.

Interesting


	2. head scarves

_“He was sunshine most always-I mean he made it seem like good weather.”_

-Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

‘’You are so gone for him, man.’’

Louis looks up and sees that Liam is looking at him. They’re in the library, studying and it’s been a while since he’d been able to join the lads, usually seeing them in the bakery on his way to his morning classes but only briefly and sometimes in the weekend when its quiet and he can study and enjoy Harry’s refills and extra cupcakes.

Speaking of Harry, he’d just excused himself to the bathroom and he couldn’t help but watch him walk away.

‘’Gone for who?’’ he asks Liam even though he already knows what he’ll say. He didn’t think he was so obvious.

‘’Everywhere I'm looking now, I'm surrounded by your embrace,’’ Zayn sing-songs next to Liam, eyes on his laptop but lips moving. ‘’Baby, I can see your halo. You know you're my saving grace…’’

Niall snickers and then bursts out laughing when Zayn starts muttering the chorus and the librarian shushes him loudly.

‘’I think everyone here knows you’re gone for who, Lewis. Don’t be dim,’’ Liam smirks before he elbows Zayn’s side. Zayn looks up, all doe-eyed and innocent the little fucker.

‘’What?’’ he says.

Louis just shakes his head at him but he knows he’s caught. The girls are with them today, talking amongst themselves; Kendall, Taylor, Sophia, Perrie and Hailee and maybe he was being obvious because Harry was sat next to Taylor and Kendall instead of next to him and maybe he got a bit jealous because Harry didn’t switch seats with Hailee to sit next to him when he’d arrived and joined them and instead remained seated where he was and just offered him a fist bump in greeting.

''Admit it, Lewis.'' Liam snickers next to him. ''Were you watching him walk away because of his lovely little a...''

‘’That’s not my name, Payno,’’ Louis drawls before he focuses on the essay he’s due to submit in a few hours. He likes to think he’s quite clutch but the truth of the matter is that he’s just juggling a lot right now that it’s a miracle he can still meet his deadlines.

When Harry returns, the boys go back to their studies but Zayn doesn’t stop muttering Beyoncé’s lyrics and it’s getting so annoying that he hits his shin under the desk. Niall groans though.

‘’What did you do that for?’’ he whines at Louis and gets shushed again. Harry looks up and Louis looks away, eyes back to his laptop.

Man, he’s losing his cool.

And now, the lyrics are stuck in his head.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

‘’Harry?’’

‘’Yes Ben?’’

‘’Can I ask you something?’’

‘’Sure.’’

He regrets that as soon as the word comes out of his mouth. Maybe Louis is right; maybe he should stop playing along, stop being accommodating because it just gives Ben the wrong signals, more fuel to keep coming back again and again.

‘’When you don’t wash your hair for a while, does it become all greasy?’’ Ben asks, genuinely curious.

‘’I’m sorry, what?’’ Harry looks up here. They’re nearing exams and he’s tired and cranky and he hasn’t had time for some self-care in a while, what with revision sessions coming up and last minute submissions. It’s also getting colder and he’d found that putting his hair down and donning a beanie can help in keeping his hair warm. He’s not wearing a beanie now since it’s quite warm in the bakery but he’s got his hair wrapped up in a head scarf instead.

‘’I think maybe you should air it out a little, Harry.'' Ben twirls his finger. ''Your hair sure looks like it could use a wash,’’

''What?''

''Or maybe even a trim,'' Ben scratches his chin, looking at him like he's a an animal in a zoo. ''Hmm...''

Zayn and Niall are in the break room so there’s no one but him and Louis sitting in a corner. He wonders what they’d say if they can hear Ben right now.

‘’I’ve been busy with studying, that’s all. Don’t you have finals to worry about?’’ Harry asks, genuinely hurt. He’s wanted to grow his hair out for a while now and it’s not like his hair is more important than his studies so what the fuck?

‘’I do but I just mean, it’s a shame really. I missed the cherubic look. You had more volume then and you looked younger too.’’

‘’I have exams and…’’

‘’But that’s really not an excuse for you to let yourself go this way. I mean, have you seen yourself in a mirror lately?’’ Ben asks, like he’s genuinely hurt on Harry’s behalf.

‘’Excuse me?’’

Harry looks to the side and sees Louis sidling up to Ben.

‘’Oh hi. Louis right?’’ Ben says, like he’s having a fine dandy day.

‘’Yeah, that’s right. Do you have anything else to say to my boyfriend?’’ Louis asks, very friendly and no malice at all in his voice. ‘’See, he’s due for a break soon and I don’t usually come around here to sit in a corner all by my lonesome just to leave and not spend even a single minute with him.’’

Ben looks between Harry and Louis and Harry tries to school his expression to something neutral but inside he’s burning in a mixture of shame and delight; shame at apparently walking around looking like a bum and delight that Louis is around to help him salvage the situation.

‘’You two are dating?’’ Ben asks. His eyebrows are raised in astonishment.

‘’Yup, it’s still quite new,’’ Louis reaches out and holds Harry’s hand next to the cashier machine. ‘’So you understand of course,’’

‘’I didn’t know you were gay,’’ Ben turns bodily towards Louis, eyes narrowed.

‘’You can ask Lottie if you want to check,’’ Louis says, totally unflappable.

‘’Right,’’ Ben looks back at Harry and then at their joined hands before he clears his throat. ‘’Well, I’ll take my leave then. Take care, Harry,’’

‘’Have a nice day,’’ Harry says quietly and watches in silence as Ben picks up his usual order and leaves. He doesn’t leave a tip this time.

‘’You okay?’’ Louis asks, squeezing his hand.

‘’I don’t know; should I be offended?’’ Harry asks and for some reason he feels like crying.

‘’I mean he’s not worth being offended over but sure,’’ Louis nods.

‘’Yeah,’’

Harry doesn’t know what just happened. He’s tired and he’s been sleeping late and waking up early to get to work on time and he’s got deadlines after deadlines and assignments to submit and just…

‘’Can I hug you? If that’s al...’’ Louis asks but Harry is already nodding. He sees Louis moving towards the divider until he’s on the same side as he is and he doesn’t exactly run because the space between them isn’t a football field but the moment Louis’ arms open, well, he doesn’t exactly barrel into him but its close.

‘’I’m just tired, that’s all. I’m trying…’’ Harry says to Louis, arms tight around his shoulders and fuck, there are actually tears escaping his eyes.

‘’It’s okay,’’ Louis says, arms a wonderful comfort on his back, squeezing like he’s keeping him from exploding. ‘’For what it’s worth, your hair is wonderful like this, all wrapped up like a Christmas present.’’

Harry laughs and buries his face deeper into Louis’ neck.

‘’Thanks Lou,’’

‘’Anytime, babe.’’

They stay standing like that for a while and Harry doesn’t want to leave his warm embrace so he thinks of something desperate to say.

‘’How about a quote?’’ he asks quietly.

‘’Right now?’’

‘’Seems like you might have one for the occasion,’’ Harry reasons, blinking some stray tears out of his eyes.

‘’Hmm,’’ Louis’ lips move on the tendon of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

_‘’You are so beautiful, it hurts sometimes.”_

Harry feels frozen in place.

‘’Is that an actual quote?’’

‘’Yeah; Richelle Mead.’’

‘’Oh,’’

‘’But I do mean it,’’ Louis says when he pulls back. ‘’It hurts looking at you sometimes,’’

‘’But what if I want you to look at me?’’ Harry asks boldly. ‘’Like, all the time?’’

‘’You? Perfect you?’’ Louis tells him, a self-deprecating smile on his face. ‘’Sweet, kind and lovely you? I’ll combust,’’

Harry cheeks bloom red. ‘’I’m not perfect, Lou. And I’m not really that beautiful,’’

 _‘’You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.'’_ Louis tells him. ‘’And if he offends you again, I won’t be so nice next time,’’

‘’Hey, no need for violence,’’ Harry laughs shakily, eyes on the tiles.

Louis lifts his chin up with his beautiful fingers. ‘’And no need for anyone to make you feel small. I won’t stand for it, okay?’’

‘’Okay,’’ Harry nods, a warmth simmering underneath his cage.

Maybe it’s his crush, turning into admiration, turning into genuine affections.

Maybe Louis is starting to reciprocate his advances. 

Maybe he's not so out of reach after all.


	3. Man bun

_“His long, long hair wafted around him like black smoke, its tendrils curling and moving of their own volition. His cloak — or perhaps that was his hair too — shifted as if in an unfelt wind.”_

-M.L. LeGette, The Orphan and the Thief

‘’You never told me your major,’’

He doesn’t know how he ended up taking a nightly stroll with Louis. All he knows is that their exams are over (except for Louis', he’s got two more to go but they insisted on him sparing a few hours for them) and they’d gone to the pub for a mini celebration. Perrie, Taylor and Kendall took a ride with Zayn in his car and Niall, Hailee, Liam and Sophia decided to share a cab, leaving them both stranded.

‘’I double major in English literature and education,’’ Louis says.

‘’Ah, hence the quotes,’’ Harry finally realizes.

‘’I tend to read a lot, yeah,’’ Louis laughs, self-aware.

‘’And what do you want to be when you finish uni?’’ Harry asks. Louis, Zayn and Liam are a year older than him and Niall and him are in the same year. Therefore, he's already dreading the fact that in a couple of years, Louis might not be around campus as much as he is now. Already now, he’s scarcely around. And yet, he’s always around when Harry needs him, like some sort of twisted fate. He was there when Ben was giving him a hard time and he was there again when Ben showed up at Liam’s game. They’d managed to find time in their hectic schedule to go watch Liam play and just when Ben was about to approach and say hi, Louis wrapped his arm around Harry’s shoulders and kissed him on his cheek. By the time Harry looked up, Ben had turned around and was gone.

He feels like they’re on the precipice of something and even the boys have noticed, saying that they’re both too cowardly to make the first move.

He wanted to tell them that maybe he’s waiting for Louis to make the move first but that sounds like a cop out.

‘’I want to be a teacher or a writer when I graduate,’’

‘’Those are two very different career paths,’’ Harry observes Louis as he raises the cap of his hoodie and burrows his hands into the pockets, like a cold hedgehog. He'd taken it off when they were in the pub and Harry was distracted half the night when he saw Louis' tattoos. Man, he can't wait for summer.

 _‘’All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players,’’_ Louis quotes before he turns and looks at Harry, walking backwards. ‘’I just want to be something great one day, that’s all, whether through my own words or through a student’s success. Makes no difference to me,’’

‘’You are great,’’ Harry cannot help but say and yet, he finds himself meaning it. He sees it in the way that Louis helps Liam with his course since he’s juggling sports and his major at the same time. He’s heard the way Louis talks to his mum on the phone and how he talks proudly of his sisters when Harry sits down with him at the bakery sometimes when he feels like Louis could use a break.

‘’You’re not bad yourself, Mr. Styles,’’ Louis bows to him like he’s an actor on a stage before he smiles and loops his hands around Harry’s arm. ‘’What do you want to be when uni’s all over?’’

‘’That’s easy, I want to be a song-writer,’’ Harry tells him, burning with want at Louis’ proximity. They’re not as tactile with each other as Louis and Liam are but Harry wonders if maybe one day they could be. ‘’I want to be the next Bruno Mars or maybe the next Ed Sheeran, I don’t know. Niall and I have plans to conquer the music world and it may sound like a pipe dream now but we do talk about it from time to time and you know; it doesn’t hurt to dream or to try really. Right?’’

‘’Quite right,’’ Louis beams at him, like in admiration and it’s a lot when he’s not really said something big.

‘’I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming,’’ Harry smiles.

‘’It’s a cut-throat business, the music industry. You sure you’re ready for it?’’ Louis asks, not miffed at all at Harry for catching on to his inherent thoughts.

‘’Well, I’d hope they’ll be nice when they see how desperate and hopeful we are,’’ Harry bats his eyelashes at him and puffs his lips before he and Louis laugh. ‘’It’s not like we’ll say please in a nice way and hope for a record deal but we know it will include a lot of elbow rubbing, a lot of hand-shaking with men in suits. We just hope we find the right people who will give us a chance and set us in the right direction, you know?’’

‘’Yeah I hear you,’’ Louis pauses and then he continues. _‘’But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams,’’_ Louis quotes before he looks up softly at him. ‘’W.B. Yeats,’’

Harry finds himself stopping under a street lamp. Louis’ hands are still mingled with his arm and he finds himself turning and holding Louis’ hands in both of his. He doesn’t know what it is about Louis and quoting Literature but for some reason, he loves it; loves how beautiful the words are shaped by Louis’ mouth, loves how genuine he means them when they leave his lips, like a part of him that he doesn’t hesitate to share with Harry, a depth to him that he gives up so easily because he knows Harry won’t mind them, like maybe Harry needed to hear them and this was the only way he could express himself to Harry.

‘’I want to kiss you,’’ Harry tells him.

‘’Okay.’’ Louis smiles at him. His eyelashes are forming shadows on his face and his blue eyes are sparkling.

‘’No quote for me?’’ Harry asks, eyes on Louis’ lips.

 _‘'The sunlight claps the earth, and the moonbeams kiss the sea: what are all these kissings worth, if thou kiss not me?’’_ Louis tells him, a blush spreading on his cheeks and just…fuck.

Harry swoops in, hands gripping his waist and lips pushing against his, unable to hold back anymore.

Louis’ hands wrap around his neck and his arms encircle Louis’ waist, pulling him closer. He groans when Louis’ fingers, like roots, wove their way through his hair and loosens his bun, until a curtain falls over them when his hair drops.

He kisses Louis like a man desperate for a kind word, for someone to mend his soul or something earth shattering and it shouldn’t feel like that but it does, it just whole-heartedly does.

‘’I’ve wanted to do that for so long,’’ Harry says into his lips and then continues kissing him.

Under the street lamp, Harry wonders if it feels like they’re in a romance novel like the books Louis quotes from. He wonders if the huge ball of affection growing in his chest is something akin to the words Louis reads, to the emotions that evoke him to sear those words into his memory and quote them at him.

He wonders if Louis genuinely feels the same way about the way they’re kissing because he's loving it, relishing it already.

‘’I love the way you kiss me,’’ Louis says when they break apart.

‘’What?’’ Harry tries to catch his eyes while Louis tries to catch his breath.

‘’You took my breath away, love. How dare you?’’ Louis teases.

‘’Can I do it again?’’ Harry asks boldly. It’s like once he got a taste, he can hardly find it in himself to stop.

Louis doesn’t reply; just pulls his head down and they start kissing again until they get heckled by a passing car to go and get a room.

It’s still a wonderful night.

And maybe, just maybe, Louis is Harry's ''something great''.


	4. braids

_“_ _It's the kind of kiss that inspires stars to climb into the sky and light up the world.”  
_ ― Tahereh Mafi, [Ignite Me](https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/40181098)

‘’What are you doing?’’

Business is a bit slow now that campus was closed for the holidays. Soon, he and Louis will have to separate for a while to go visit their families and Harry doesn’t want to be all emotional about it but he feels like what he has with Louis is still new and fragile and he doesn’t want distance to trample on it so soon.

Therefore, as soon as Louis’ exams were over, they’d gone on a first date and if Louis was sweet before, he was even sweeter now, like he couldn’t get his hands off of him and it’s like, he’s a proper boyfriend because when he compares him to his exes, none of them were like Louis. None of them held his hand in the streets when they walked, none of them asked him about his future prospects, hell, none of them ever even asked about his major. They all thought he was shallow for trying to pursue a career in music, for looking hot, like sex on legs, like his looks were all he was good for. Looking back, one of the girls he broke up with said that she’d only dated him because she was curious to know what it was like to pull his hair when they'd fuck rough. The sex was great but he sure as hell detested her for making him feel cheap.

He’s had good exes too, don’t get him wrong and he’s not ashamed to say that he’s dated a lot because he did but Louis is the first person he’s genuinely interested in and he feels is also genuinely interested in him back and not just because of his killer dimples and killer hair.

Louis actually laughs at his jokes, which is actually really hard to believe!

It’s what Louis was doing after Harry told a knock-knock joke when Ben spoke.

‘’Excuse me?’’ Harry says. He is actually off duty but came by to say hi to Barbara and to introduce Louis to her. This led to them staying for a while since there were not a lot of customers and Barbara wanted to know everything there is to know about Louis. Zayn and Niall are on the clock and Hailee, their part-timer, was manning the cash register.

‘’I asked, what are you doing?’’ Ben asked again, this time pointing at Louis. Louis was currently sitting on the bench behind and opposite the pastry display with Harry between his legs, braiding his hair. Its grown longer over the past few months since he’d met Louis for the first time and Louis told him it’s probably long enough to be braided and Harry just told him to go for it.

‘’Braiding my boyfriend’s hair, what the hell does it look like I’m doing?’’ Louis asks, almost flippantly. Harry had grown a thick skin after the ‘’crying incident’’ and had become more aloof towards Ben and his advances. However, he chooses to remain silent and see what Louis will do, especially because this time, Zayn and Niall are around too, looking like they’re busy cleaning but are actually paying attention.

‘’But he’s not a girl, he’s a…’’

‘’I dare you not to finish that sentence,’’ Louis says and Harry doesn’t have to turn around and see the dangerous look that is probably etching his face right now; his tone alone can tell him that. ‘’Because trust me, mate, you won’t like what I have to say about that,’’

‘’Fine, but that hair do is not very fashionable if you ask me and I’m more of an expert than you are,’’ Ben says, his nose up in the air.

‘’Well I’m an expert on my boyfriend which I can’t say applies to you as far as I’m concerned,’’ Louis says before he continues braiding Harry’s hair. ‘’And if I recall, no, I didn’t ask you, so you can keep your opinions to yourself thank you very much.’’

Ben fumes and then looks at Harry. Harry stares right back, arms folded and leans further back into Louis, stance relaxed and unfettered.

‘’When your hair gets entangled, don’t come crying to me on how to shampoo it and fix it,’’ Ben hisses.

Yeah, that’s it.

‘’Yeah right, as if I ever cried to you about hair problems,’’ Harry snorts. ‘’Geez, who made you the boss of me?’’

Ben’s eyes widen and Louis wraps his arms around him.

‘’Um…’’

‘’Now, don’t you have places to be, hair to style? Don’t let us mere mortals keep you waiting,’’ Harry continues, waving at the door. ‘’So long now,’’

Ben takes one last, shocked look at him before he just turns around and walks away.

Harry sighs and Louis’ arms around him tighten.

‘’You okay?’’

‘’I just hope he doesn’t come around again,’’ Harry purses his lips. ‘’That would just be so awkward,’’

‘’Hey, what was that all about?’’ Zayn asks as he and Niall approach. Good thing Barbara was dealing with a delivery in the back room otherwise she would've had more words to say, even if Ben is a regular customer.

‘’Absolutely nothing,’’ Louis replies before he whips his phone out. ‘’Just a man who doesn’t know how to appreciate real beauty,’’

He turns on the selfie on his camera and angles Harry's face so he can see his braided hair.

‘’Wow, that looks really nice,’’ Harry says, turning left and right, admiring Louis' work.

‘’That actually is nice,’’ Niall agrees and steps closer to look at the braids on the sides of his head. ‘’Take a picture of it, Haz.’

‘’Here, let me take it,’’ Zayn says and snatches Louis' phone.

They pose with Louis out of the frame so that Zayn can focus on the hair do and then, like a little ducking, Harry strays back between Louis’ legs and Zayn snaps a couple of photos of them with Louis’ arms wrapped around his chest from behind.

After that, a customer comes in and he and Louis go to the backroom and wait for Barbara to finish up the delivery call.

‘’I have to ask,’’ Harry says as he corners Louis, arms caging him against the counter. ‘’Did you get a degree on how to be a knight in shining armor or something?’’

‘’Nah but maybe I have a degree on how to not accept bullshit,’’ Louis wraps his arms around Harry’s neck, lips tilted in amusement. ‘’Say, babe?’’

‘’Yes?’’ Harry wonders if it’s too soon to be in love with him after only four months of knowing him. But he can’t think about that now when Louis is looking at his lips and biting his own.

 _“Make me immortal with a kiss.”_ Louis’ voice lilts into a question.

They’re not in a field of gold, just in the back room of a small bakery but when Harry reaches for his face, closes his eyes and kisses him, it feels like he is.

Maybe it’s not too early to be in love with him after all.


End file.
